


Tenderness

by Persiflage



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Comfort Food, Cuddling & Snuggling, Daisy Is The Only Marvel Superhero, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode 4:05, Episode Tag, F/M, Falling Asleep on Someone, Flash Fic, Grilled Cheese, Hurt/Comfort, Older Man/Younger Woman, POV Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson is the best at taking care of Daisy, TLC, all the feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 05:19:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8388811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: Phil really is the best at taking care of Daisy, but also at giving her space.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zauberer_sirin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zauberer_sirin/gifts), [RowboatCop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowboatCop/gifts), [Skyepilot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/gifts), [BrilliantlyHorrid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrilliantlyHorrid/gifts).



> Seeing that Phil Coulson continues to be literally THE ONLY PERSON who isn't treating Daisy like shit for leaving SHIELD made me very emotional, so tag fic.

Daisy's still sitting up in the Quinjet a couple of hours after May went back down to the Zephyr1 when she senses Phil approaching. She realises she's bracing herself mentally, because although, so far, he's said nothing to her to make her feel awful, she rather suspects today's events are going to change that. 

She's surprised, therefore, to realise she can smell soup and grilled cheese, and she stares a bit when he finally comes into sight carrying a tray of food.

"Hi," he says, rather shyly she thinks. "Mind if I come in."

"It's not my plane," she points out, a little more sharply than he deserves, but she's not sure she can deal with him being nice to her right now, any more than she could deal with him not being nice.

"No it's not," he agrees. "But it appears to be your Fortress of Solitude." He says it lightly, with a little smile teasing the corners of his mouth, as if he doesn't want her to take that comment too seriously. "I don't want to intrude," he goes on in a more serious tone. "But I figured you must be hungry, even if you didn't use your powers during that fight."

She swallows, then nods. "I am," she admits.

He nods back, then comes the rest of the way towards her spot on the floor, and she sets her laptop aside when he kneels and offers her the tray.

"You made me grilled cheese," she says softly.

He smirks a little. "I remembered how much you liked it before," he says. "Besides, there's plenty of calcium in cheese, which is a good thing right now – and nicer, I hope, than vitamin supplements."

"And tomato soup," she says, lifting the cover off the bowl.

"Another secret recipe," he says, his tone definitely teasing this time.

She chuckles weakly. "You didn't have to do this, you know."

"Of course not," he says easily. "But I wanted to." He sets the tray across her lap, then gets back to his feet. "I'll leave you to eat in peace."

Daisy swallows. "You don't have to," she tells him. "I mean, if you've got mission stuff to do, or – "

"I don't," he says. "Are you sure you want company?"

"I'd – I'd be glad of yours," she says.

"Okay." He sits down beside her, stretching his legs out, and she begins to eat, dipping the grilled cheese sandwich in the soup in what's possibly a very disgusting fashion, but if Phil's appalled by it, he makes no comment. In fact, he sits silently beside her the whole time she's eating, and she finds herself relaxing bit by bit into his silence, noticing the way that his vibrations are calm, soothing even, which helps her to relax. By the time she's finished eating, she feels like she could sleep for a week, and without thinking about it, she leans into Phil's shoulder.

He takes the tray from her lap with his left hand, setting it down on his left side, then he carefully slips his right arm around her shoulders. "Okay?" His voice is soft, low, and warm.

"Yeah," she says just as low and soft. "This – this is good, Phil."

"Good." He tightens his arm a fraction, just gently squeezing her shoulder. "We've got a couple more hours, at least, before we get back to the Playground, so rest if you can."

"Thank you," she says softly, and allows herself to relax fully against his side. She feels herself sliding towards sleep, and she welcomes it, knowing how much she needs to sleep.

DJ-PC-DJ-PC-DJ

Daisy wakes slowly, wondering why she feels warm and safe, then realises she's lying beside Phil, her head on his shoulder. He's got his arms wrapped carefully around her, and he's asleep himself, although even as she's registering who she's sleeping on, she feels him waking up – his vibrations shifting from asleep to awake in a matter of moments. She doesn't move, she's not quite ready, because this feeling of safety and warmth is so good that she doesn't want to give it up, even though she knows she'll have to – just as she knows she'll have to leave again once this mission is complete.

She feels Phil's lips on her hairline, warm, and soft, a gesture so tender that she wants to cry, and she forces herself to sit up.

"Hey," he says quietly, his eyes soft and gentle. "Are you okay?"

"Mmm." It's a bit of a non-answer, and she's sure Phil knows the real answer to that, but he doesn't press her.

They help each other up to their feet, then Daisy picks up her laptop while Phil gathers up the tray of crockery, then they make their way down to the Zephyr1's command centre.

Before they walk in, he stops her with a gentle touch on her forearm. "Daisy." She turns towards him, and he swallows, then says, "Whatever you need, if I can give it to you, I will. That includes space."

"I know, Phil," she tells him. "Thank you."

He nods, then says, "I know you and Robbie are itching to get back out there, and I'll do my best to ensure that happens as soon as possible." 

She nods back, then, on she's not sure what impulse, she leans in and presses her mouth to his cheek, just for a moment. His eyes go wide, but then he turns towards her and presses his lips to her forehead, his free hand touching the middle of her back very lightly. Then they turn by mutual consent and walk into the command centre.

She feels slightly less alone, and while she's not sure that's a good thing in the long-term, it feels like a very good thing for now.


End file.
